Computer systems are currently in wide use. Some such computer systems are relatively large, and can include hundreds, or even thousands of different user interface display screens.
Some such computer systems include enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, customer relations management (CRM) systems, line-of-business (LOB) systems, electronic mail and other messaging systems, document management systems, among others. As an example, business systems (such as ERP, CRM or LOB systems), can include thousands of different forms. Each form can have its own set of user interface display elements
It is also relatively common for such systems to be periodically or intermittently updated or revised. In some current systems, however, each form basically corresponds to a unique entity and the properties relating to the user experience are modeled independently, on each different form. Also, some form patterns support multiple entities and show summary information across the entity types. The properties can be spread across a wide variety of different controls on a form. Therefore, and because of the large number of forms, it can be difficult to maintain a consistent user experience across all of the different forms, and across updates and revisions to the underlying system.
Some systems have used a checking mechanism. The checking mechanism can be used by a developer, after the developer has generated a form, to determine whether the form conforms to an overall structure expected for that type of form. However, these types of systems have certain drawbacks. For instance, they are run by the developer, after the developer has already created the form. This means that, by its nature, such a mechanism is optional and may not always be run by the developer. In addition, simply because the overall structure of a given form conforms to an expected structure or pattern, that does not mean that the deeper content, inside the form (such as where the developer places his or her own content), also conforms to an expected pattern. This can result in a user experience that diverges greatly, from one form to the next.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.